SDCC exclusive - EXCLUSIVES ON HASBRO TOYSHOP

[Wardah]

Hasbro used to have a LPS exclusive too but it didn't sell well and now they don't even bother. Comic Con exclusives are often obscure characters that would otherwise not get a release. At least she is a pony unlike Discord so they at least got that right.

[Shutin]

ugh, I wish they'd say if the hair is pose-able. I know it sounds weird but that's a big deal breaker for me

I like it, but that's because I like kind of weird and out-there creepy cool toys. What I will say is that the exclusive doesn't feel very "my little pony" to me at all, even though I like it! It feels like an exclusive for another toy brand. Nothing about it really speaks to the MLP brand - it has nothing to do with fashion or design, it doesn't have brushable hair... I can definitely see why people dislike it as an exclusive. I think Hasbro are thinking more about making a product that appeals to comic con attendees than making a collectors item. Personally I'd be beyond delighted if Hasbro went back to making art ponies and used them as exclusives, but maybe that wouldn't sell so well, i dunno.

[StoryDreamer]

One thing to consider (and perhaps to politely bring up to the Hasbro reps) is that there are things that will appeal to both older and newer collectors. "Rescue at Midnight Castle" is actually pretty well regarded by a lot of bronies (going from comments on some of the main brony sites) and in any case many of its characters have ties to FiM- Moondancer has been named in the cartoon and appeared in the comic, Twilight (Velvet) has appeared as Twilight Sparkle's mother, Firefly has been named as an historical figure (and while she hasn't appeared, people recognize her connection as a sort of "proto" Rainbow Dash), a Medley-like Pegasus frequently appears as a background character, etc. Why not do G4 versions of these characters? There's no way to make everyone happy, but rather than try to focus on only one or the other side of the fandom (with the resulting in-fighting and lowered sales), why not try to find that common ground?

I love this idea. Based on what I see online, I predict a Firefly special edition would do really well.

[princessluna11706]

I think pegacorn and unipeg are the dumbest sounded words in existence, at least say winged unicorn or something! The first two terms just make me think of fakies.

Oh no, it makes YOU think of fakies? Quick, let's all just say "winged unicorn"!
Seriously what is going on in this thread?

Exactly.. it doesn't matter in the long run does it? ; We can all call them what we like!

And I must agree with Archer.  Whether we like the exclusive or not the fair staff worked very hard putting everything together for us.  We can all voice our opinions and opt not to buy, but complaining will just hurt feelings.  I personally am not a fan of the fair pony this year (and yes, disappointed that that's what they chose for the 30th anniversary) but again, the big picture.  We are a smaller market, and lucky to get anything at all.  I'm still grateful there is a fair at all

[lunar_scythe]

I know everyone is frustrated, but PLEASE don't say we should cut ties with Hasbro!  The fair is sponsored by Hasbro at this point, if I understand it correctly.  No Hasbro ties = no Hasbro money.  While I understand the point of wanting to cut Hasbro out of the Fair decisions, in the end, all that would really do is make the fair too expensive to have. 

Even if 500 people go to the fair each year, 500 people each paying $40(weekend gen admission rate) is only $20,000, and I doubt that would be enough to keep the fair going.  I ran Sober Grad in my town for *years*, and  we needed $10,000 or so to have a halfway decent event for 150 people.  That included food costs, true, but it didn't include renting a hall.

[Sunset]

I'd like to go on record and say that while I am not in love with the exclusive, I don't hate it either.  If it has posable hair, then I think that's pretty cool.  It shows that someone put a lot of thought into it, even if it isn't what I would have chosen.  It gives me hope that we will get some really cool things down the line that I will like a lot more.

The sticking point for me is the price tag.  $50 is a lot for one pony especially one that I will have to remove from the packaging in order to play with it.

[Snix]

Please don't boycott the Fair pony. That is only going to further drive a wedge between Hasbro and the collector market. They don't have to give the Fair an exclusive, especially when it's been proven many of those exclusives don't even sell many years later! If Hasbro sees the majority don't even buy the Fair pony this year, well, next year they may finally decide to not give us a pony at all since clearly no one wanted it. I suspect that's how Hasbro would view it because as SweetTune said, we just aren't a major source of revenue for them. The boycott will just further prove to Hasbro that it's a waste of money and time for them to cater to a small demographic.

I know it sucks to hear that basically we should suck it up and be grateful for the measly scraps Hasbro gives us; I'm no happier about it than anyone else. SweetTune and the other Fair organizers are clearly busting their butts every year to make the Fair a success, and I would not want to see something ultimately as trivial as an exclusive bring all that to an end. I am deeply grateful for the hard work all the Fair volunteers put in each year.

Bitting directly Hasbro, as the owner of the franchise and as the brony fandom knows very well, is bitting the hand who feed us. Not is a good politic, specially when we aren´t the public target and only the cherry of the MLP Cake.

[UrocyonFox]

the only unicorns i liked were the mlp ones. same with pegasi and well earth ponies.

actually horses terrify me. i only asked for a pony when i was little, cuz i saw it in a movie, and well, my grandparents got me a smaller/ affordable version.

anyway. yeah if the doll get sold for cheap enough afterward. i'd get her.

I am right there with you, I don't care for real horses, the only ones I like come in multiple colors and have never been larger than a small dog! I love MLP but do not care for real horses, they're just not my cup of tea. Give me a snake any day over a real horse.

[Lorelei Redfern]

Please don't boycott the Fair pony. That is only going to further drive a wedge between Hasbro and the collector market. They don't have to give the Fair an exclusive, especially when it's been proven many of those exclusives don't even sell many years later! If Hasbro sees the majority don't even buy the Fair pony this year, well, next year they may finally decide to not give us a pony at all since clearly no one wanted it. I suspect that's how Hasbro would view it because as SweetTune said, we just aren't a major source of revenue for them. The boycott will just further prove to Hasbro that it's a waste of money and time for them to cater to a small demographic.

I know it sucks to hear that basically we should suck it up and be grateful for the measly scraps Hasbro gives us; I'm no happier about it than anyone else. SweetTune and the other Fair organizers are clearly busting their butts every year to make the Fair a success, and I would not want to see something ultimately as trivial as an exclusive bring all that to an end. I am deeply grateful for the hard work all the Fair volunteers put in each year.

Bitting directly Hasbro, as the owner of the franchise and as the brony fandom knows very well, is bitting the hand who feed us. Not is a good politic, specially when we aren´t the public target and only the cherry of the MLP Cake.

I'm not going boycott it becuase i'm greatfull  of what summer and them do. and they can  make us a  good converiotn and i understand hasbro funds the fair.  but at the same time i'm not going to waste my money  buying  it when i  dont even want it. yes  its  fine that they  gave us a fair pony. but hte majority of people dont even want the thing.  its overpriced for what it is.  yes we got one. the upside it wasnt a doll.   but  i dont think tis right to force  the thing down peopels throats if they dont want it. JUST to make hasbro happy.  its clear that there focus is more on  EgD now and NOT   mlp.  and all they   keep doing for ponys is  blind bags and the same ponys over nad ove agian.  but i think at this point the subject is moot and done.  people like it. peple hate it. and tempers have flared more then once in this thread.  so everyone cna do what they  like.buy it not buy it. there choice. but hasbro willlikely  just ignore all  the     stuff we've said to them.   they diidnt even BOTHER to  show up last year at the fair.  so i  will just suck it up.    and dela withe crapy exclusive but in no way  will  i    buy it or  promote the thing. but yes i am happy that we got one. and i'm very certiant hat everyone wants one will get one.

but in closing. yes ummer nad the fiar workers do a great job at making the fiar awesome. and i look forward to going to my second fair.  and  i relaize i will proably upset or tick people off with this post. 

[LadyMoondancer]

There is absolutely nothing wrong with telling Hasbro "we don't like this."  (Politely!)

Remember when that blindbag came out--the one named Heartstrings?

Remember how bronies pitched a fit because Hasbro hadn't used the fan-name "Lyra"?

What name is that pony sold under now?  Lyra Heartstrings.

If we tell Hasbro what we want, they might ignore us.  If we don't tell them what we want then they'll definitely ignore us.  They aren't mind readers.

And to me, this isn't just about money or toys.  This is how we have built a relationship with Hasbro and now they're going "Eh, whatever."  Yes, they're a toy company, they want to make money--sure.  But I believe they can make money AND produce something that collectors AND bronies like.

(And do bronies even like this?  I mean, how much screentime did this character have?  Always seemed like a forgettable episode to me.)

We have always supported Hasbro, we sent them a scrapbook of MLP memories (organized on the MLPTP--Hasbro sent a thank you letter saying how much it meant to them), we have tolerated them when they did things that we weren't crazy about because "really what kids want matter more".  But when it becomes "really other collectors matter more because they have more money" . . . I don't know.  I just feel like we as a community are too much like Fluttershy and not enough like Rainbow Dash.

IMO what people should do is write snail mail letters to Hasbro (those get more attention than emails) giving opinions on the fair pony (politely! but truthfully) and suggesting better alternatives.

[Aquatic Neon]

I have said this before and I'll say it again, what Hasbro should do is release a collectors line via internet only on hasbrotoyshop and come out with limited lines of each figure.

Say start with 500 G4 Firefly ponies if they all sell and quick, then great then they move onto another like 500+ G4 Surprises, etc. Releasing a new pony or pairing (like funko does) say every 3 months. What's the harm in doing that, they did release that Twilight exclusive to hasbrotoyshop last year, very poor pony choice, and design but I think if they did G1 ponies for the collectors they would sell like hotcakes, and if they didn't and stop doing it then we should stop asking because it wouldn't work, but I highly doubt this would happen, I bet they would do very well.

[Spectrum]

There is absolutely nothing wrong with telling Hasbro "we don't like this."  (Politely!)

Remember when that blindbag came out--the one named Heartstrings?

Remember how bronies pitched a fit because Hasbro hadn't used the fan-name "Lyra"?

What name is that pony sold under now?  Lyra Heartstrings.

If we tell Hasbro what we want, they might ignore us.  If we don't tell them what we want then they'll definitely ignore us.  They aren't mind readers.

And to me, this isn't just about money or toys.  This is how we have built a relationship with Hasbro and now they're going "Eh, whatever."  Yes, they're a toy company, they want to make money--sure.  But I believe they can make money AND produce something that collectors AND bronies like.

(And do bronies even like this?  I mean, how much screentime did this character have?  Always seemed like a forgettable episode to me.)

We have always supported Hasbro, we sent them a scrapbook of MLP memories (organized on the MLPTP--Hasbro sent a thank you letter saying how much it meant to them), we have tolerated them when they did things that we weren't crazy about because "really what kids want matter more".  But when it becomes "really other collectors matter more because they have more money" . . . I don't know.  I just feel like we as a community are too much like Fluttershy and not enough like Rainbow Dash.

IMO what people should do is write snail mail letters to Hasbro (those get more attention than emails) giving opinions on the fair pony (politely! but truthfully) and suggesting better alternatives.

Maybe we should start sending Hasbro emails? Nothing rude / unpleasant, but just that we're unhappy with the exclusive for the fair and that it's upsetting that we've been pushed to the side.

Maybe it'll work. I mean, we made an entire FB page and sent a ton of emails to Hasbro about Minty, and what did we get a little while later? A Minty figure.

(Off topic, but this is my 1000th post! Yay!)

[Okapifeathers]

(And do bronies even like this?  I mean, how much screentime did this character have?  Always seemed like a forgettable episode to me.)

I just looked through the comment sections of a few popular brony news sites, and guess what? Almost all of them have the same complaints as you guys! It's not a brushable, the price is too high, this is a one-time not-so-popular character, and though a ton of them dislike Equestria Girls as much as a lot of folks here, they are in agreement that the doll is the better and more affordable option. There were a few commentors that knew about the Fair and the SDCC exclusive being the same, and they seemed to feel sorry that the Fair couldn't manage to get it's own more preferable exclusive. I just feel the dislike for Bronies is incredibly misplaced in this situation. In the end we are all pony fans at the mercy of Hasbro, they decide what to listen to and how they're going to do it. I know what I said here doesn't represent all bronies, but the arena doesn't represent all collectors either!

I would totally go for a G4 Firefly or literally any pony from a previous generation. I love the twinkle eye ponies, imagine an entire line of them appearing at the Fair or SDCC! I've seen some great G4 versions. A G4 big brother set would definitely be worth the $50 to me! I think maybe Hasbro is at this in-between stage where they think they know what the fans want, and they think they know what will make the most money, but they missed the mark this year. It's important to let them know what you want in a polite way that won't make them pull away from older collectors. I know the old collectors grew up with G1, but there are people who are growing up with G4 right now, so maybe they just aren't sure which direction to go.

[Tropical_Sunset]

I have said this before and I'll say it again, what Hasbro should do is release a collectors line via internet only on hasbrotoyshop and come out with limited lines of each figure.

Say start with 500 G4 Firefly ponies if they all sell and quick, then great then they move onto another like 500+ G4 Surprises, etc. Releasing a new pony or pairing (like funko does) say every 3 months. What's the harm in doing that, they did release that Twilight exclusive to hasbrotoyshop last year, very poor pony choice, and design but I think if they did G1 ponies for the collectors they would sell like hotcakes, and if they didn't and stop doing it then we should stop asking because it wouldn't work, but I highly doubt this would happen, I bet they would do very well.

I think that's a great idea!

I appreciate the fact that this year's exclusives not only include a doll from their new EQG line but a regular-sized pony as well.  She may not be everybody's cup of tea, but at least we're getting a pony at all and she's not bedazzled (no offense to anyone who liked last year's exclusive!  I just really, really didn't.)  Not only are we getting a pony but she's a new character, too. 

The only thing I really dislike about this year's exclusives is that they are SO expensive.  I could understand $25-$35 for the pony set but $50 is quite expensive for a little pony and $30 for a (probably not even articulated) doll.  How much are the Monster High SDCC exclusives selling for this year?  It's $40, isn't it, for the set of two nicely articulated dolls, both with unique head molds and one with a unique body mold.

I do agree that the Fair and SDCC should have different exclusives.  Though there is some overlap, it's not the same market.

[Spectrum]

Also, maybe we could make a FB page like We Want Minty had, and then after a certain number of likes, send it to Hasbro, but send individual emails in the meantime?